http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2010
World Report: Abusers Target Human Rights Messengers
Rights-Respecting Governments Should Speak Up to Protect Defenders
January 20, 2010
(Washington, DC) - Governments responsible for serious human rights violations have over the past year intensified attacks against human rights defenders and organizations that document abuse, Human Rights Watch said today in issuing its World Report 2010.
The 612-page report, the organization's 20th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights trends in more than 90 nations and territories worldwide, reflecting the extensive investigative work carried out in 2009 by Human Rights Watch staff. The volume's introductory essay by Executive Director Kenneth Roth argues that the ability of the human rights movement to exert pressure on behalf of victims has grown enormously in recent years, and that this development has spawned a reaction from abusive governments that grew particularly intense in 2009.
"Attacks on rights defenders might be seen as a perverse tribute to the human rights movement, but that doesn't mitigate the danger," Roth said. "Under various pretexts, abusive governments are attacking the very foundations of the human rights movement."
Attacks on human rights monitors are not limited to authoritarian governments like Burma and China, Human Rights Watch said. In countries with elected governments that are facing armed insurgencies, there has been a sharp rise in armed attacks on human rights monitors. Although the armed conflict in Chechnya has wound down, there was a devastating series of killings and threats against lawyers and activists fighting impunity in the North Caucasus.
Human Rights Watch noted that some governments are so abusive against individuals and organizations that no domestic human rights movement can function, citing Eritrea, North Korea, and Turkmenistan.
The introduction to the report said that in addition to Russia and Sri Lanka, other countries where human rights monitors were murdered in order to silence them in included Kenya, Burundi, and Afghanistan.
Human Rights Watch cited Sudan and China as countries that routinely shut down human rights groups and Iran and Uzbekistan as countries that openly harass and arbitrarily detain human rights workers and other critics. Colombia, Venezuela, and Nicaragua threaten and harass rights defenders. Human rights advocates face violence in countries such as The Democratic Republic of Congo and Sri Lanka. Some governments such as Ethiopia and Egypt use extremely restrictive regulations to stifle the work of nongovernmental organizations. Other countries use the disbarment of lawyers (China and Iran, for example), criminal charges - often faked from staged attacks (Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan), and criminal libel laws (Russia and Azerbaijan) to silence critics.
Local and international human rights groups working in Israel have experienced a more hostile climate than ever before after documenting abuses committed by Israel, as well as Hamas, during the December 2008 - January 2009 fighting in Gaza and Israel and in connection with Israel's ongoing blockade of Gaza.
Roth said that the only way that abusive governments will end their assault on rights defenders is if other governments that support human rights make rights a central part of their bilateral relations.
"Governments that support human rights need to speak out, to make respecting human rights the bedrock of their diplomacy - and of their own practices," Roth said. "They need to demand real change from abusive governments."
Roth said that the Obama administration, in particular, faced the challenge of restoring America's credibility on human rights. So far, he said, the results are mixed, with a marked improvement in presidential rhetoric, but an incomplete translation of that rhetoric into policy and practice.
The US government has ended the CIA's coercive interrogation program, but should still uphold domestic and international law against torture by investigating and prosecuting those who have ordered, facilitated, or carried out torture and other ill-treatment, he said. On closing the detention facility at Guantanamo, the deadline has slipped, but the more important issue is how it will be closed. Human Rights Watch and others have urged the administration either to prosecute detained suspects before regular federal courts or safely repatriate or resettle them elsewhere. The Obama administration has insisted on maintaining military commissions that provide substandard justice and on continuing to hold suspects indefinitely without charge or trial, both of which risk perpetuating the spirit of Guantanamo, Roth said.
Human Rights Watch also said in the introduction to its report that an emerging system of international justice including the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been the focus of attack. The assault unfolded after the court issued an arrest warrant in March for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Sudanese forces and allied militia against the civilian population of Darfur.
After the court issued the warrant, many African democracies initially chose the comfort of regional solidarity rather than staking out a position of principle in support of international justice, the introduction to the report says.
Instead of applauding the ICC for taking action to redress the mass murder and forced displacement of so many Africans in Darfur, when the African Union resolved in July not to cooperate in executing the arrest warrant, a number of African leaders went along with the decision to protect Bashir rather than Darfurian victims of abuses.
Human Rights Watch research over the past year covered a wide range of abuses in virtually every region of the world.
An additional essay in the report, entitled "Abusing Patients," described government health policies that subject patients to torture or ill-treatment and the failure of national and international medical societies to prevent medical provider complicity in such abuse. The essay drew upon Human Rights Watch research from Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Iraqi Kurdistan, China, Cambodia, India, and Nicaragua.
In many countries, Human Rights Watch documented the human rights violations suffered by women and girls, including those related to pregnancy, birth, and women's role as caregivers and providers. For example, preventable maternal mortality and disability as a result of negligent policies and laws kill and maim more women annually than the impact of armed conflict, Human Rights Watch said.
In Iran, Human Rights Watch covered the continuing governmental crackdown on peaceful activists following the disputed presidential election of June 2009. Human Rights Watch documented the arrests of thousands of ordinary and high-profile people, providing detailed accounts of state violence against peaceful protesters, arbitrary detention of human rights defenders, and abuse and torture in Iran's illegal detention centers.
In China, in addition to its continuing work documenting the targeting and jailing of human rights defenders, Human Rights Watch issued a report that described the secret operation of "black jails," where authorities detain people they abduct off the streets of Beijing and other major cities. Most of those held are petitioners seeking redress for abuses ranging from government corruption to police torture.
In Cuba, Human Rights Watch documented how Raúl Castro's government, instead of dismantling the repressive machinery of the Fidel Castro years, has kept it firmly in place, keeping scores of political prisoners in detention and arresting dozens more dissidents.
In Zimbabwe, researchers continued to monitor and report on rights violations by President Robert Mugabe's former ruling party against its partners and their supporters in a power-sharing government. Human Rights Watch also documented brutal tactics by the army and police in the Marange diamond fields to control access to the fields and take over unlicensed diamond mining and trading.
A report about Burma showcased dozens of prominent political activists, Buddhist monks, labor activists, journalists, and artists arrested since peaceful political protests in 2007 and sentenced to draconian prison terms after unfair trials.
In Gaza and Israel, Human Rights Watch documented laws-of-war violations by both Israel and Hamas. Israel's military assault on Gaza a year ago included the unlawful use of white phosphorus munitions, the killing of civilians with missiles launched by drones, and the shooting of civilians waving white flags. Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched rockets at Israeli population centers, and Hamas killed alleged collaborators and abused political opponents during the war.
In Libya, Human Rights Watch released a report critical of the government at a news conference in Tripoli. The event was the first open news conference in Libya. The report said that while limited improvements are under way, including expanded space for freedom of expression, repressive laws continue to stifle free expression and association, and abuses by the Internal Security Agency remain the norm.
In Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch documented the deliberate killing of more than 1,400 civilians, a pattern of vicious rapes, and other abuses by government and rebel forces during two successive Congolese army operations against a Rwandan Hutu militia in the east of the country. Human Rights Watch also reported serious flaws in the UN peacekeeping operation in Congo that limited its ability to effectively protect civilians.
In Guinea, Human Rights Watch produced a detailed report on killings, sexual assaults, and other abuses at an opposition rally in the capital, committed largely by members of the elite Presidential Guard. The evidence suggests that the attacks were planned in advance and rose to the level of crimes against humanity.
Human Rights Watch said that despite the growth in the human rights movement, human rights defenders remain vulnerable and greatly in need of support by rights-respecting governments.
"Governments that consider themselves human rights supporters often keep silent in the face of these abuses by allies, citing diplomatic or economic priorities," Roth said. "But that silence makes them complicit in the abuse. The only proper response to serious human rights violations is to turn up the heat on the abusers."
http://www.ichrp.org/files/reports/40/131_web.pdf
The International Council is delighted to announce the rerelease of its groundbreaking report, Corruption and Human Rights: Making the Connection, in a joint endeavour with Transparency International. The report was initially launched in February 2009 and has been well received by civil society organisations, human rights advocates, anti-corruption campaigners, governments and private enterprise alike.
With the involvement of Transparency International, it will now form part of the resources available to the global network of more than 90 established Transparency International national chapters and chapters-in-formation.
Managing Director of Transparency International, Cobus de Swardt, praised the report as an important reconceptualisation of the connection between corruption and human rights. He remarked that “for too long the anti-corruption and human rights movements have been working in parallel rather than tackling these problems together. Through this first and innovative report on human rights and corruption, the ICHRP has provided an important conceptual basis for aligning the work of both movements”.
Council Research Director Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, who directed the publication of the report, also welcomed the participation of Transparency International in the rerelease of the report, saying “Transparency International is universally regarded as the leading civil society organisation within the anti-corruption movement. We hope that this jointly released report will become an important and useful resource for TI chapters across the globe”.
Please see the Council's website for more background on the project.
The full report, available in English, can be downloaded free of charge (in PDF format). A copy of the report can also be ordered electronically through the Council’s website.
ICHRP, 48 chemin du Grand-Montfleury, CH-1290 Versoix, Geneva, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 775 33 00 • Fax: +41 (0) 22 775 33 03 • ichrp@ichrp.org
International Council on Human Rights Policy
http://www.cohre.org/store/attachments/COHRE%20RWP%20MDGs%20publication.pdf
COHRE PUBLICATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND MDGS
The Right to Water Programme (RWP) of the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) has released a report which addresses the need for MDG-based policy making on water and sanitation to incorporate human rights standards. The publication analyses MDG-based policies and sector strategies from five countries, identifying current trends and any critical gaps. It reviews the extent to which such policies are consistent with, are conflicting or fail to reflect human rights principles. It also shows how gaps in MDG-based policy making can be usefully filled by more explicit and systematic consideration of human rights standards. The report titled, The significance of human rights in MDG-based policy making on water and sanitation: An application to Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Sri Lanka and Laos is available at http://www.cohre.org/resources and www.cohre.org/watsannews
http://reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/MUMA-7S888W/$file/OHCHR_Report_2008.pdf?openelement
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) passed several historic milestones in 2008, including a number of significant institutional developments, the adoption of new international legal instruments, a change of High Commissioner and three highly symbolic anniversaries.
Among notable developments was the launch, in April, of the Human Rights Council's new Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, in which OHCHR plays an important facilitative role. Under the UPR, the human rights record of every country will for the first time be subject to regular peer review. Also significant was the adoption by the General Assembly of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which establishes a procedure by which individuals can seek justice for violations of economic, social and cultural rights, and the entry into force of a new legal instrument to protect the rights of people with disabilities, namely the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities. With the completion of the move from New York to Geneva of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), OHCHR at last assumed full responsibility for servicing all UN treaty bodies.
The year also saw a change in leadership at OHCHR, with former International Criminal Court judge Navanethem Pillay taking over from Louise Arbour as High Commissioner. An internal restructuring led to adjustments in the Office's senior management structure and the creation of several new senior-level posts. There was an emphasis on consolidating recent growth, particularly in the field where half of all OHCHR staff are now based, and reinforcing the Office's capacity to fulfill its mandated responsibilities, especially in relation to the Human Rights Council, the UPR, treaty bodies and special procedures.
Finally, in a year of anniversaries, 2008 marked 60 years since the adoption by the General Assembly of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The adoption of this Convention signified a first, concerted effort by the world community to consign to history the horrors of the Holocaust, and 15 years since the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, which led to the creation of the post of High Commissioner for Human Rights and subsequently the establishment of the Office in its present form. Finally, on Human Rights Day, 10 December, OHCHR led the world in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a variety of events designed to raise awareness about human rights and the responsibility of States and others to uphold them.
These and other developments are described in detail in this review of OHCHR's work in 2008. The report documents the many activities undertaken during the year, presents an assessment of results achieved, and identifies some of the challenges encountered. It is a comprehensive report card on implementation of the Office's programme of work, set out most recently in the High Commissioner's Strategic Management Plan (SMP) for the 2008-2009 biennium. It also contains detailed information on funding sources and expenditure, including financial
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/01/14/2009-world-report-obama-should-emphasize-human-rights
2009 World Report: Obama Should Emphasize Human Rights
Stop Abusive States From Playing System to Avert Criticism
January 14, 2009
(Washington, DC) - The incoming Obama administration will need to put human rights at the heart of foreign, domestic, and security policy if it is to undo the enormous damage of the Bush years, Human Rights Watch said today in issuing its World Report 2009.
US leadership in promoting human rights will be vital, Human Rights Watch said, because at present the most energetic and organized diplomacy addressing human rights is negative - conducted by nations trying to avoid scrutiny of their own and their allies' abuses. And the human rights crisis in Gaza, where hundreds of civilians have been killed in fighting between Israel and Hamas, underscores the need for concerted international attention to the rights abuses that plague today's armed conflicts, Human Rights Watch said.
"For the first time in nearly a decade, the US has a chance to regain its global credibility by turning the page on the abusive policies of the Bush administration," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "And not a moment too late. Today, the most energetic diplomacy on human rights comes from such places as Algiers, Cairo, and Islamabad, with backing from Beijing and Moscow, but these ‘spoilers' are pushing in the wrong direction."
The 564-page World Report 2009, Human Rights Watch's 19th annual review of human rights practices around the globe, summarizes major human rights issues in more than 90 countries, reflecting the extensive investigative work carried out in 2008 by Human Rights Watch staff.
The report documents ongoing human rights abuses by states and non-state armed groups across the globe, including attacks on civilians in conflicts in Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Sudan, and political repression in countries such as Burma, China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe. It also highlights violations by governments trying to curb terrorism, including in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The report also addresses abuses against women, children, refugees, workers, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people, among others.
The introductory essay by Roth outlines steps the United States and other governments that purport to support human rights should take if they want to reclaim the initiative for human rights from the "spoiler" nations that today so aggressively and effectively oppose them.
"As a vital first step, Barack Obama and his team should radically rethink how they fight terrorism," Roth said. "It's not only wrong but ineffectual to commit abuses in the name of fighting terrorism or to excuse abuses by repressive governments simply because they're thought to be allies in countering terror."
Roth notes that at the United Nations and in other international bodies, repressive governments have blocked scrutiny and censure for rights violations as too many democracies either stand by or mount an ineffective defense. Countries such as Algeria, Egypt, and Pakistan, supported by China, Russia, India,and South Africa, defend the prerogative of governments to do what they want by making claims of sovereignty, non-interference or regional solidarity. Washington has been unable to respond effectively, even where it seeks to uphold human rights, because of its recent record of abuses, mostly committed in the name of countering terrorism, and because it has forsaken effective multilateral diplomacy in preference for an arrogant exceptionalism.
Roth called on the new Obama administration to signal the US government's willingness to rejoin the international community and subject itself to the rule of law by "re-signing" the International Criminal Court (ICC) treaty, seeking membership on the UN Human Rights Council, and ratifying neglected major human rights treaties.
Some governments have profited from the US absence to undermine international protection for human rights. "It is a sad fact that when it comes to human rights, the governments with the clearest vision and most effective strategy are often those trying to undermine rights enforcement," said Roth.
Roth said that the human rights opponents have come to dominate intergovernmental discussions of human rights, downgrading UN scrutiny of severe repression in Uzbekistan, Iran, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, for example, and compromising the UN Human Rights Council. These spoilers have also challenged criticism of the Burmese military government and tried to halt the likely prosecution of President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan by the ICC over the deadly abuses in the Darfur region.
Governments seeking to play a negative role on human rights do so to forestall international scrutiny of their own or their allies' violations, Roth said. While saying they support human rights in principle, these nations cite sovereignty to avoid scrutiny of their records. Roth noted: "These governments make claims of regional solidarity or solidarity within the global South, but the solidarity that they have in mind is with abusive leaders, not their victims."
The report singles out many nations for such criticism, including South Africa for failing to address the crisis in neighboring Zimbabwe, Egypt for encouraging lessened scrutiny of the conflict in Darfur, and India and China for not addressing repression in Burma.
Human Rights Watch commends southern governments that have bucked the trend and spoken out in support of human rights, such as Botswana, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zambia in Africa, and Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Uruguay in Latin America. But it points out that smaller and middle-sized governments do not have sufficient clout to counter the efforts of the spoilers without help from the major Western democracies.
Roth's essay concludes that because the Bush administration largely withdrew from the defense of human rights after deciding to combat terrorism without regard to such basic rights as not to be subjected to torture, enforced disappearance, or detention without trial, it forced the European Union to act on its own. The EU responded admirably in the Georgia-Russia crisis and in sending monitors to protect civilians in eastern Chad. But the report says the EU also failed to project its influence more broadly, hiding behind a cumbersome decision-making process, carrying out half-hearted and ineffective diplomatic efforts and failing to project its influence in places such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma, and Somalia.
"The successful defense of human rights will require serious self-examination and a willingness on the part of the world's democracies to change course," Roth said. "The task facing the human rights community is to convince both the traditional supporters of human rights and potential new ones to seize this opportunity."
http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/LIVRE_ESP_PDF_BD.pdf
EL OBSERVATORIO PARA LA PROTECCIÓN DE LOS DEFENSORES DE DERECHOS HUMANOS
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA
El testimonio obstinado
Lanzamiento de la versión en español del Informe Anual 2006 del Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos
Ginebra-París, 12 de julio de 2007. La Organización Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT) y la Federación Internacional para los Derechos Humanos (FIDH), en el marco de su programa conjunto, el Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos, publican hoy la versión en español de su Informe Anual 2006.
Dicho informe denuncia la difícil situación que, al menos 1,311 defensores de derechos humanos, enfrentan día con día en el ejercicio de su trabajo, tales como los obstáculos a la libertad de asociación, existente en cerca de 90 países alrededor del mundo.
Esta nueva edición, para la cual el Sr. Kofi Annan, antiguo Secretario General de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas, escribió el prólogo, coincide con el décimo aniversario del Observatorio, el cual rinde tributo a las mujeres y hombres que luchan diariamente porque la justicia triunfe sobre la impunidad, arriesgando a menudo sus propias vidas.
Con motivo de este lanzamiento, el día de hoy se llevará cabo una rueda de prensa en la ciudad de Bogotá, Colombia, así como reuniones consecutivas durante los próximos días en otros lugares de Latinoamérica. Es importante destacar que otras numerosas ruedas de prensa han sido organizadas a nivel nacional e internacional a lo largo del presente año en París, Ginebra y Bruselas, por mencionar algunas, gracias al apoyo de las organizaciones miembro y de las organizaciones asociadas y/o contribuyentes tanto de la OMCT como de la FIDH.
Por otro lado, recordamos que las versiones en francés e inglés del mencionado informe, fueron ya publicadas el 14 y 22 de marzo de 2007, respectivamente. Su trascripción en ruso para la sección de Europa y la Comunidad de Estados Independientes (CEI), y en árabe para el norte de África y la sección de Medio Oriente, está proyectada para un futuro cercano.
Este informe está disponible en los sitios web de la OMCT y de la FIDH en los siguientes enlaces:
http://www.omct.org/pdf/Observatory/2007/observatoire_rapport_annuel2006_esp.pdf?PHPSESSID=071f531629a00cf554d22fc71455f6d6
http://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/LIVRE_ESP_PDF_BD.pdf
Para mayor información favor comunicarse con:
OMCT: Delphine Reculeau: + 41 22 809 49 39
FIDH: Gaël Grilhot: + 33 1 43 55 25 18
Amnesty International has issued its 2007 report on human rights violations worldwide. You can find it at:
Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism: The Impact on Human Rights Protection
The International Human Rights Obligations Network (IntHRON) was launched on 18th January 2007 with a workshop on 'Terrorism and counter-terrorism: the impact on human rights protection'. Despite the worst storms for over a decade, the launch was well attended, with participants from across the north-west.
Introductions were given by Prof. Bob McKinlay, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Lancaster University, and Professor Sigrun Skogly, Lancaster University Law School. The keynote speech was presented by Professor Martin Scheinin, UN Special Rapportuer on the promotion and protection of human rights whilst countering terrorism. This was followed by presentations from Michael Windfuhr, Brot fur die Welt, on Economic and Social Rights in times of counter terrorism and Professor Peter Rowe, Lancaster University Law School on International Security and human rights - the relevance of human rights to armed forces engaged in military operations outside their own territory.
Unfortunately, despite valiant efforts, two of the presenters were unable to attend due to the storms. However, they have kindly provided written versions of their presentations.
MAZLUMDER HUMAN RIGHTS WORLD REPORT 2006 was announced to public by press conference held in Istanbul branch meeting hall.
Branch president Mustafa Ercan and Foreign Affairs Coordinator Ayþe Ýrem Demiriz gave details about the report and human rights violations in the world.
Mazlumder Human Rights Report is a report which is composed of examination of violation of human rights all over the world and it is published regularly every year. The report is formed after investigation of concerned countries where there has been violation of human rights. The purpose of the report is to make both people in Turkey and international community conscious of violation of human rights. This report is the first and only report that reports violation of human rights in Turkey. It points out that nobody can decide about human rights and people tend to implement double standard unless they focus on rights and justice.
We decided to add Turkey to our report this year. You can also get more detailed information about violation of human rights in Turkey from our Headquarters report.
Human Rights World Report is published 4th time which is formed with the work of 20 volunteer members of the MAZLUMDER Ýstanbul Branch Foreign Affairs Committee. The Committee followed the developments in the world by separating the world into 6 region in order to work more efficiently. The name of the Committee members who reported from 73 countries in total are mentioned below.
Regions and Work Groups :
1. Europe : Ahmet Köroðlu, Muhammed Dalyan, Taha Ayhan, Ülkü Eser, Zelal Dað
2. Middle Asia - the Caucasus : Gülþah Bakýr, Özlem Takir, Zelal Dað
3. Middle East : Ahmet Zeki Olaþ, Cihan Özkan, Taner Altun.
4. The United States : Ayþenur Bulut, Selman Ortaköy.
5. Asia- the Pacific : Ahmet Zeki Olaþ, Ayþe Ýrem Demiriz, Engin Türker, Muhammed Saqýp Shahzad, Semanur Keleþ.
6. Africa : Hüseyin Yýlmaz, M.Bedii Kaya, Mustafa Ýlhan, Kadir Temiz.
The Correction Group :
F.Zehra KALKAN, Ali Görkem Userin, Mehmet Çakýr.
Chairman of Foreign Relations Commitee : Selman Ortaköy
Project Coordinator : : Ayþe Ýrem Demiriz
The methods used to prepare this report are: analysis of works of local institutions, following international and national institutions and media through forms in internet during the whole year, press archives, meetings with Non-Governmental Organizations and visits to abroad.
YOU MAY REACH THE WHOLE REPORT at www.mazlumder.org
The English version of the report will be available soon. If you would like to have a hard copy of the report please send you requests to info@mazlumder.org